Chargers heading into offseason of expected changes

The only every-down back there is LT. Hard to believe he can be let go without a very good replacement. There are no guarantees Tomlinson won't get hurt again. There are no guarantees he won't.

But the Chargers know Sproles isn't an every-down guy.

“A lot of people say I dance around it and avoid the question,” says Smith, not exactly Baryshnikov. “Darren Sproles was drafted by the San Diego Chargers to help us in three areas – kick returns, spot play as a running back and catching passes out of the backfield.

“We will be pursuing Darren for exactly the same reasons.”

In other words, Smith has hard thinking to do over the next month as he begins to piece together the 2009 roster. It's beyond doubtful he can replace a Hall of Fame running back with another Hall of Fame running back, so he has to know there's a man in waiting somewhere before the cord is severed.

“You're assuming,” Smith says, “that, if we have to move on, we're not capable of getting another running back.”

I'm not assuming anything. All I can do is look at the chart, envision it without LT, and know for a fact he has no everydown back and he has a coach in Norv Turner who puts the run first.

As for the defense, even those with severe brain flatulence know the loss of Merriman to knee surgery was a disaster. The defense played better under coordinator Ron Rivera, but the great player couldn't be replaced, which is why we must wonder if LT can be replaced.

“I don't discuss injuries during the season,” Smith says. “The season's over now. Unless we figure out how to stop the passing assaults on this defense and get off the field and establish a sound running game, we will not get to where we want to go.

“We were not good enough in the postseason to go (on). We didn't stack up. We got our butts kicked. We missed Shawne Merriman.”